Guantánamo Province
Encyclopedia
Guantánamo is the easternmost province of Cuba
. Its capital is also called Guantánamo
. Other towns include Baracoa
. The province surrounds the U.S. Navy base
at Guantánamo Bay.
The original settlement was done by Catalan
families from the Ampurdán
region of north-eastern Catalonia
, Spain
in 1764. British forces had occupied the area for over 40 years and Scot-Irish settlers were a constant preoccupation to the Spanish authorities. In 1805, when the French were forced out of St. Domingue (Haiti) 35,000 French settlers were given lands in Cuba, many French families settled in the Guantanamo area becoming coffee and cacao planters meaning that many buildings are comparable to those of the French Quarter
of New Orleans
in the U.S. state
of Louisiana
. Guantánamo also has a number of immigrants from Jamaica
.
Before the Cuban Revolution of 1959
, the Carnivals of Guantanamo were famous in Cuba.
and close enough to see lights in Haiti
on a clear night.
The Nipe-Sagua-Baracoa mountains (Sierra de Cristal) dominate the province, dividing both climate
and landscape
. The northern coast, battered by prevailing winds, is the wettest part of the country, while the south, sheltered and dry, is the hottest. The north is characterized by rainforest
s, while the south is arid and has many cacti
.
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. Its capital is also called Guantánamo
Guantánamo
Guantánamo is a municipality and city in southeast Cuba and capital of Guantánamo Province.Guantánamo is served by the Caimanera port and the site of a famous U.S. Naval base. The area produces sugarcane and cotton wool...
. Other towns include Baracoa
Baracoa
Baracoa is a municipality and city in Guantánamo Province near the eastern tip of Cuba. It was founded by the first governor of Cuba, the Spanish conquistador Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar in 1511...
. The province surrounds the U.S. Navy base
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...
at Guantánamo Bay.
History
Guantánamo's architecture and culture is distinct from that of the rest of Cuba.The original settlement was done by Catalan
Catalan people
The Catalans or Catalonians are the people from, or with origins in, Catalonia that form a historical nationality in Spain. The inhabitants of the adjacent portion of southern France are sometimes included in this definition...
families from the Ampurdán
Alt Empordà
Alt Empordà is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain, one of two into which Empordà was divided by the comarcal division of Catalonia in 1936.- Municipalities :Populations are as of 2001.*Agullana - pop. 668*Albanyà - pop. 99*L'Armentera - pop. 742...
region of north-eastern Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in 1764. British forces had occupied the area for over 40 years and Scot-Irish settlers were a constant preoccupation to the Spanish authorities. In 1805, when the French were forced out of St. Domingue (Haiti) 35,000 French settlers were given lands in Cuba, many French families settled in the Guantanamo area becoming coffee and cacao planters meaning that many buildings are comparable to those of the French Quarter
French Quarter
The French Quarter, also known as Vieux Carré, is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. When New Orleans was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city was originally centered on the French Quarter, or the Vieux Carré as it was known then...
of New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. Guantánamo also has a number of immigrants from Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
.
Before the Cuban Revolution of 1959
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement against the regime of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista between 1953 and 1959. Batista was finally ousted on 1 January 1959, and was replaced by a revolutionary government led by Castro...
, the Carnivals of Guantanamo were famous in Cuba.
Geography
The province is only 80 km (49.7 mi) away from Haiti its closest point, across the Windward PassageWindward Passage
The Windward Passage is a strait in the Caribbean Sea, between the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola. The strait specifically lies between the easternmost region of Cuba and the northwest of Haiti.80km wide, the Windward Passage has a threshold depth of 1,700m...
and close enough to see lights in Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
on a clear night.
The Nipe-Sagua-Baracoa mountains (Sierra de Cristal) dominate the province, dividing both climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
and landscape
Landscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
. The northern coast, battered by prevailing winds, is the wettest part of the country, while the south, sheltered and dry, is the hottest. The north is characterized by rainforest
Cuban moist forests
The Cuban moist forests are a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion that occupies on Cuba and Isla de la Juventud. The ecoregion receives more than of rainfall annually, and does not have a dry season. Soils are usually derived from quartz, limestone, or serpentinites...
s, while the south is arid and has many cacti
Cactus
A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and/or hot environments. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent, while the leaves have evolved into spines...
.
Municipalities
| Municipality Municipalities of Cuba The provinces of Cuba are divided into 169 municipalities or municipios. They were defined by Cuban Law Number 1304 of July 3, 1976.-Summary:The municipalities are listed below, by province:... | Population (2004) | Area (km²) | Location | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baracoa | 20°21′2"N 74°30′37"W | |||
| Caimanera | 19°59′42"N 75°09′35"W | |||
| El Salvador El Salvador, Cuba El Salvador is a municipality and city in the Guantánamo Province of Cuba. It is located immediately north of the provincial capital, Guantánamo.-Demographics:... |
20°12′35"N 75°13′22"W | |||
| Guantánamo | 20°08′13"N 75°12′50"W | Provincial capital | ||
| Imías | 20°04′37"N 74°39′6"W | |||
| Maisí Maisí, Cuba Maisí is a municipality and town in the Guantánamo Province of Cuba.The easternmost point of Cuba, Punta Maisí is located in this municipality.-Demographics:... |
20°14′36"N 74°09′21"W | La Máquina | ||
| Manuel Tames Manuel Tames, Cuba Manuel Tames is a municipality and city in the Guantánamo Province of Cuba. It is located east of the provincial capital, Guantánamo.-Demographics:... |
20°10′50"N 75°03′5"W | |||
| Niceto Pérez Niceto Pérez, Cuba Niceto Pérez is a municipality and city in the Guantánamo Province of Cuba. It is located west of the provincial capital, Guantánamo.-Demographics:... |
20°07′40"N 75°20′31"W | |||
| San Antonio del Sur San Antonio del Sur, Cuba San Antonio del Sur is a municipality and city in the Guantánamo Province of Cuba. It is located on the southern coast of Cuba, bordering the Windward Passage to the south.-Demographics:... |
20°03′25"N 74°48′28"W | |||
| Yateras Yateras, Cuba Yateras is a municipality in the Guantánamo Province of Cuba. The municipal seat is located in the town of Palenque, in the northern part of the province... |
20°21′1"N 74°55′27"W | Palenque |
- Source: Population from 2004 Census. Area from 1976 municipal re-distribution.
Demographics
In 2004, the province of Guantanamo had a population of 510,706. With a total area of 6167.97 km² (2,381.5 sq mi), the province had a population density of 82.8 /km2.See also
- GuantanameraGuantanamera"Guantanamera" is perhaps the best known Cuban song and that country's most noted patriotic song.-Music:The music for the song is sometimes attributed to José Fernández Diaz, known as Joseíto Fernández, who claimed to have written it at various dates , and who used it regularly in one of his radio...
- Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt
- Oriente